A Study of the Technological Features of Bronze Anthropomorphic Sculpture Production from the Jin Dynasty (1115–1234 AD) from the Collection of the IHAE FEB RAS

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive technological study of three bronze sculptures from the Jin Empire period (1115–1234 AD) from the collection of the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography at the Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Peoples of the Far East, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IHAE FEB RAS). Using photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), the production techniques were reconstructed, differences in alloy composition were identified, and specific features of the casting processes were determined. Tomographic analysis revealed two fundamentally different manufacturing approaches: a multi-stage technology involving the use of different alloys and the assembly of separately cast elements, and a single-cast technology with a homogeneous structure. Elemental analysis of the three sculptures using EDS demonstrated significant compositional variability—from 21% to 67% copper and from 9% to 69% tin in different parts of the objects—confirming the complexity of the technological processes. An expanded study of 20 bronze sculptures using portable X-ray fluorescence analysis (pXRF) allowed for the identification of four typological alloy groups: classic balanced lead–tin bronzes (Cu 30–58%, Sn 16–23%, Pb 16–28%), high-lead bronzes (Pb up to 52%), high-tin bronzes (Sn up to 30%), and low-tin alloys (Sn less than 11%). The morphological features of the sculptures suggest one of their possible interpretations as ancestor spirits used in ritual practices. The research findings contribute to the study of Jurchen metallurgical traditions and demonstrate the potential of interdisciplinary, non-destructive analytical methods for reconstructing the technological, social, and cultural aspects of medieval Far Eastern societies.